New interisland ferry terminal stacks up

By ANNE GIBSON property editor

The emergence of smaller and faster interisland ferry services has slashed tens of millions of dollars from the cost of Tranz Rail's proposed terminal at Clifford Bay.

The changes make the project more likely to go ahead, says Tranz Rail's corporate relations manager, Fred Cockram.

Smaller ferries would not need such a deep port, meaning a shorter breakwater could be built at Clifford Bay.

Tranz Rail would abandon Picton in favour of the new terminal south of Blenheim, a proposal which alarms Picton residents and businesses.

"Our belief now is that with the change brought about by the type of vessels, it would be able to be built for some tens of millions of dollars less than we would originally have estimated," said Mr Cockram.

Original estimates were that facilities at Clifford Bay could be built for about $120 million, but Tranz Rail's new estimates were significantly lower.

"The potential cost of building the terminal has come down considerably. When it was originally designed seven or eight years ago, the intention was to change our fleet to much bigger ferries.

"We were planning on a fleet half as big again as our current six vessels. That would have required a much longer breakwater at Clifford Bay and quite a bit of dredging because Clifford Bay shelves steeply away from the shore as it's in the open sea - not the Marlborough Sounds. It opens straight into the Pacific.

"Our view is now different because fast ferry technology has moved so rapidly and fast ferries don't require a great depth.

"If we went to a fully fast-ferry, or even partly fast-ferry fleet, then you would not need to have such a big breakwater."

Not only had the projected cost of Clifford Bay fallen, but restrictions on the speed of ferries in the Marlborough Sounds could also force Tranz Rail out and make Clifford Bay even more attractive, Mr Cockram said.

With the demand for fast ferry services, Clifford Bay was better because ferries would not have to travel through the sounds to reach the South Island.

The Marlborough District Council's decision to introduce a bylaw limiting the ferry speeds was further impetus for the move, he said.

"If the Marlborough District Council bylaw limits us to 18 knots, you could have the ridiculous situation of the conventional ferries passing the fast ferries. It's mad!"

A Tranz Rail ferry service to Clifford Bay would cut the interisland journey by about 30 minutes and reduce travel time to Christchurch by about an hour.

The demise of the TopCat fast-ferry service was yet another factor which tipped the scales in favour of Clifford Bay, Mr Cockram said.

Passengers would not be the only ones to benefit from the quicker trip. With freight making up about 70 per cent of Tranz Rail's interisland business, significant time savings on goods would be made if Clifford Bay went ahead.

Tranz Rail staff are reviewing the Clifford Bay proposal as part of a much wider rethink of the interisland fleet. A proposal is expected to go to the board early next year.

Tranz Rail has permission to build at Clifford Bay. Former Conservation Minister Nick Smith gave approval last November, with the proviso that building start within six years.